Israeli NGO Helping in Afghanistan

As many people know, the situation in Afghanistan is extremely dangerous. Tens of thousands of people are still desperate to escape from the Taliban and other Islamic terrorists, such as ISIS. But the suicide bombings at Kabul airport last week, limited resources and the expiry of the deadline for military evacuation have left much work to be done.

Amid all the frantic activity of the last few weeks, several humanitarian groups have been trying to help. One of them is the Shai Fund, which is a non-profit organization based in Israel that provides humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The Hebrew word ‘shai’ means gift, and the NGO seeks to give people the gift of hope. Its director is Charmaine Hedding, who spoke to ILTV recently about their efforts to help rescue people in danger in Afghanistan.

The organisation’s leaders realised that the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan meant that many people would be left behind by the military evacuation. With those most at risk being women and members of religious minorities, as well as those who have worked for the US government and international NGOs over the last 20 years.

So, the Shai Fund has been working with Mercury One of The Nazarene Fund, an NGO committed to supporting persecuted minorities by searching for and liberating captives. Working within a larger network of humanitarian organisations, these two managed to arrange as many as seven flights out of Afghanistan by Sunday. The operation is funded by donors from around the world.

Speaking to CBN News, Charmaine Hedding said many of the Afghans they are trying to save are Christians who come from a Muslim background.

“They are in fear of their life. They received a letter from the Taliban before they even
closed down the whole of Kabul saying, ‘We know who you are; we know where you are.’
So, they’ve got them on a list and they’re hunting them down.”